App could save countless lives

Yorkshire Ambulance Services Paul Stevens, left, is championing the Save a Life app.

Published:11:00Friday 18 May 2018

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Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) has launched a new app that maps out the location of all defibrillators across the county.

YAS has launched the life-saving app which dots out the exact locations of every one of the 1,288 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) across Yorkshire.

The Save a Life app also provides cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) guidance in the event of someone suffering a cardiac arrest.

Paul Stevens, head of community resilience at YAS, said: “There has been a staggering increase in the number of AEDs across Yorkshire; four years ago there were 100 and today there are 1,288.

“This app plots the location of all the AEDs so members of the public can familiarise themselves with the location of their nearest device.

“We also hope that communities which don’t have the life-saving kit will consider purchasing one via the various funding streams which are available.

“However, the app should not be used in an emergency.

“In the event of someone suffering a cardiac arrest, you should still call 999 and will then be told the location of your nearest AED and the code needed to access it. We would encourage members of the public to proactively use the app to locate their nearest AED so that they can be prepared for an emergency situation.”

The app also contains videos which demonstrate how to carry out CPR on adults, children and infants, along with a myth-buster section about the risks of attempting CPR. The Save a Life app uses GPS functionality to show the location of the nearest defibrillator from wherever the user is in Yorkshire.

The app is free to download and is available to download on both iOS and Android.